Carrying Forward the Good: Noticing Strengths and Building on Them
If you ask most leaders what they want to improve next year, they can rattle off a list without hesitation. We are quick to see the gaps and slow to recognize the good. It tends to be how we are wired. We focus on the problems, the misses, the moments we wish we had handled differently.
But something powerful happens when you intentionally look for what worked. You start to see strengths that you may have overlooked. You notice progress that was easy to miss while moving from task to task. You remember accomplishments that got lost in the busyness of the year.
Carrying forward the good is not about ignoring mistakes. It is about refusing to let your worth as a leader be defined only by what you did not get right.
Why Leaders Struggle to Recognize Their Strengths
Many servant-minded leaders tend to focus on where they fall short. They care so deeply, they tend to hold themselves to a higher standard. They assume their impact is smaller than it really is. They put pressure on themselves that they would never put on their own teams.
One of the easiest things to overlook is your consistency. Showing up every day, supporting your people, helping them grow, and staying steady through challenges is not glamorous, but it matters. It builds trust and stability in ways that are hard to measure but easy to feel.
Another overlooked strength is how you treat people. Leaders who care about their people tend to underestimate the influence that creates. Genuine care is one of the greatest forces of trust in any organization. When people feel seen and valued, they give their best work (that is not an accident).
So much of what makes leaders effective does not show up on a dashboard, and that makes it easy to dismiss. Taking time to identify these strengths gives you a clearer picture of who you are as a leader and what you can grow even further.
Carrying Forward the Good Requires a Different Kind of Reflection
Where letting go focuses on clearing space, carrying forward focuses on strengthening what already works. Both require reflection, but this one asks you to look through a lens that many leaders rarely use.
A few questions can help:
What did I do this year that created momentum for my team?
Where did I see trust deepen between me and the people I lead?
When did my leadership bring out the best in someone?
Which habits helped me stay grounded, consistent, or clear?
What gave me energy instead of draining it?
When you think through the year, do not just look for the dramatic moments. Look for the quiet ones too - the steady presence, the honest conversation, the time you took to listen, or the decision you made thoughtfully instead of reactively. These moments often have the biggest long-term impact.
A Personal Example
This past year I realized how often I avoided delegation because I did not want to inconvenience anyone. I also knew exactly how I would have completed certain tasks, so letting go felt risky. But something shifted when I paid attention to the times delegation went well. The team delivered, they grew, and they were proud of their work. I noticed that the more I stepped back, the more they stepped up.
That realization became something worth carrying into the next year. It reminded me that leadership is not about protecting people from responsibility. It is about trusting them with it.
What to Carry Forward Into the New Year
After reflecting, choose one or two strengths or habits that you want to take with you into the new year. These might be:
Consistency in communication
A more grounded leadership presence
The way you prioritize your people
The trust you have begun to build
A new confidence that surprised you
A positive habit that helped your team thrive
Carrying forward the good is not about perfection, it’s about momentum. When you reinforce what works, your leadership becomes more natural, more sustainable, and more grounded.
Our Invitation
You may not give yourself enough credit for the good you do - most leaders do not. But if you want to grow, you need to know what is already working. That is what gives you traction for the year ahead.
If you want help identifying strengths you may not see clearly, consider taking the Fail-Safe Leadership Assessment. It can help you see where you are already strong, where you can grow, and what habits will make the biggest difference next year.
Carry the good with you. It is part of what will make you an even better leader in the year ahead.